This invention relates generally to electronic retrieval of information, and more particularly to a system and method for retrieving information according to improved matching criteria.
Users with information needs often construct search requests that reflect these needs for submission to a search engine. For example, a user might construct and submit a query in Structured Query Language (SQL) format to obtain availability, pricing, and other information concerning a part used in manufacturing a product. These queries typically limit a user to Boolean operators in expressing needs, which may prevent the user from fully and precisely expressing the needs and thus prevent the search engine from retrieving results that optimally satisfy the needs. As an example, the user might query a parts catalog for all available capacitors with capacitances between C1 and C2, voltage characteristics between V1 and V2, and temperature characteristics between T1 and T2. In response to the query, the search engine returns search results to the user identifying all the capacitors in the parts catalog that satisfy the query.
Although the search engine may very easily return all the capacitors within the xe2x80x9chypercubexe2x80x9d defined by these capacitance, voltage, and temperature parameters, the user may still be forced to manually evaluate the information to sort the capacitors according to their overall suitability in order to select a particular capacitor. Where the catalog of parts is relatively large, such a query may yield a huge number of results, making the manual evaluation and sorting of these results a daunting task. It is often very difficult for the user to assess various tradeoffs associated with the results, none of which may match all of the needs exactly. Where the number of parameters (xe2x80x9cdimensionalityxe2x80x9d) of the query is also large, this task may become even more difficult. Moreover, if queries for a large number of items are processed on a continuing basis, such as in connection with parts procurement for a large manufacturing organization, this task may become truly mind-boggling. Analogous deficiencies may arise in the context of negotiations between parties with respect to items.
According to the present invention, problems and disadvantages associated with previous techniques for the retrieval of information have been substantially reduced or eliminated.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for retrieving information for a user includes a database containing values for one or more parameters of one or more available items, each available item having corresponding parameter values. A matching server receives values for one or more parameters of at least one target item, the parameters for the target item being organized into one or more subsets. The matching server applies the parameter values for the target item against the database and, for at least one available item and for each of the parameter subsets of the target item, computes a distance between the parameter values for the available item and the parameter values for the target item. For each of the parameter subsets, the matching server applies a weight to the distance to compute a weighted distance for the parameter subset. The matching server then computes an overall distance between the available item and the target item, according to the weighted distances for the parameter subsets, and returns results to the user reflecting the overall distance for the available item. In a more particular embodiment, the user is a buyer who uses the overall distance for the available item to make a purchasing decision with respect to the available item.
The present invention provides a number of technical advantages over previous techniques. The present invention allows a buyer or other user seeking information to more precisely express its information needs and preferences, including any acceptable compromises, such that the information returned to the user better matches those needs and preferences. For example, the present invention allows buyers to more precisely describe items they would like to purchase using improved matching criteria and more quickly identifies acceptable items available from sellers, providing improved multi-dimensional, electronic commerce. The present invention similarly provides improved multi-dimensional offer creation and evaluation in the context of a mediated or other negotiation between a buyer and a seller. Systems and methods incorporating one or more of these or other advantages are well suited for modern commercial environments such as those associated with Internet-accessible websites or electronic marketplaces. Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.